Buddhism in Thailand

Theravada Buddhism makes up more than 95% of the population, making Thailand the second country after China with the largest population of Buddhists. Buddhism has deep roots in every aspect of Thai culture.

As Christianity is taught in schools in the UK, Buddhism is the core lesson in all schools in Thailand and children are taken to temples at an early age. It is also tradition for men to ordain as monks at some point in their lives, as it is believed that this will accumulate good merit and karma.

Buddhism was discovered by Siddhartha Gautama, on his journey to be free from suffering he attained enlightenment and learning the laws of the universe. Hereafter he travelled and taught he findings as well as building a monastic community. “Karma” means “action” in Sanskrit. The fundamental of Buddhism is the cycle of death and rebirth, and that every action has a consequence. Wholesome actions lead to good merit and unwholesome actions lead to bad merit. It is believed that these actions will determine the state of our future lives after we depart from this world.

Of course, this is only the bare basics of Buddhism – most of which is more complex and intricate. However, the bottom line is: always do good deeds and avoid hurting other beings physically, mentally and verbally.